AMP Workplace Sustainability Manager Tom Treffry has led the team who took out a highly commended award in the New South Wales signatory of the year category at the 2018 CitySwitch awards in Sydney.

CitySwitch is a global project that recognises businesses who are committed to reducing their environmental footprint by improving – among other factors – their energy use and waste efficiency.

He is a “greenie” at heart who does as much for the environment at home as he does in the office.

“I purchase 100 per cent green power electricity, I use a keep-cup – all the little things that add up,” he confessed.

“Everything I have the business do I try to emulate at home because, most of the time, the principles are the same – it’s just a matter of being committed enough to do it.”

Tom and his team are responsible for environmental upgrades across AMP and are currently looking after several major national projects.

Those include ensuring AMP’s new Melbourne office (1 Melbourne Quarter), Sydney’s Quay Quarter Tower development, and several experimental floors at the company’s 33 Alfred Street headquarters in Sydney achieve their sustainability goals.

He is particularly proud of his team’s achievements at 33 Alfred Street – with the 56-year-old building becoming impressively environmentally friendly under his watch.

Despite the Alfred Street building’s age, it has achieved a five-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS)¹ Tenancy Rating – an increase from three-and-a-half stars in 2013.

"But you can chip away at the problems and work towards something bigger than yourself - I find that very rewarding.”

Tom and his team have worked hard to make the building more sustainable with innovations including standing workstations, healthy offerings in vending machines, and common work areas to foster a sense of community.

Their industry-leading program is shrinking AMP’s environmental footprint and transforming workspaces to deepen staff wellbeing. 

“If you’re honest, open and transparent about where you can make the biggest impact in people’s day, you’ll get the best results," he said.

"So, if I’m managing an office refit that’s using the latest sustainable materials, or coming up with an energy efficiency plan for a skyscraper, you have to take the wins where you can get them."

The work has been a long-term project for Tom.

He started working for AMP while still studying economics and the environment at university – making his role at the company a perfect fit.

Ultimately many of the lessons learned on the experimental floors will help AMP design and develop future workplaces within the company – improving the work environment for all employees.

Despite the achievements so far Tom knows more can be done at AMP to continue the improvements in environmental and sustainability standards at the company.

Tom wants to do more to create shared value for the business, stakeholders, people, and customers – making AMP a leader on environmental and sustainability issues.

"So much of how we build, power and plan workplaces is going to change in the next decade, you can’t change everything at once," he said.

"But you can chip away at the problems and work towards something bigger than yourself - I find that very rewarding.”

Pictured, top: AMP Workplace Sustainability Manager, Tom Treffry, sits atop a cardboard recycling bin.

Pictured, middle: Tom Treffry receives the CitySwitch award on behalf of AMP in Sydney this week.

1. NABERS is an independent and nationally recognised rating that is widely used in the real estate industry.